$50 bill! $50 bill!
Who likes the Goonies?!
Anyway, greetings from Waikiki beach in Hawaii, where my tan is coming along nicely. We have enjoyed a rather splendid few days exploring Honolulu, relaxing on the beach, deepening our love for one another, shopping and well, duetting on "Everyday People" by Arrested Development - as you do.
We climbed Diamond Head on Wednesday which affords panoramic views of Waikiki. It was about a mile and a half walk up and at the end was a very steep staircase leading us to the top. Not for the faint hearted. Well worth it for the amazing views.
In the evening, we donned our matching Hawaiian outfits and headed out to Tikis bar and restaurant for cocktails and dinner, which scored a BJ rating of 3.5. My Hawaiian shirt was truly a shocker. I felt a right t*t going out in it. Luckily, however, everyone else seemed to be wearing stuff just as garish and so I blended right in. If anyone wants any Hawaiian style shirts bringing home, you know, if this is your "bag", then just let me know. Jay - are you interested?
Yesterday, after watching the Liverpool vs Zenit match (disappointing), we walked along to the marina and begun bulk buying some amazing cookies from the Honolulu cookie factory. Leave us a message and we'll give you a box! That night, after a perfectly acceptable meal at Il Lupino, we ventured to a "too cool for school" bar called the Lounge Bar at the Modern Hotel to strike a few poses, before finishing off at our "local" - Rum Fire to watch some Yanks dance very badly. In particular, this ginger guy who looked like an extra from an 1980s video, complete with a real "wind machine".
Today, we planned to do the walk up to Manoa Falls but the rain put paid to that, so we stayed local, walking to the marina and the ala moarna mall. It is rainy season here and so the weather is erratic. It is warm but the sun can be out and it will suddenly rain in short bursts.
To celebrate our final night here we ventured back to Kani Ka Pila at the Outrigger (which we visited on Tuesday) to listen to some soothing live Hawaiian music and enjoy some more American fare. A BJ rating of 4 without a doubt.
So, what do we make of Hawaii? Well, it's everything we imagined in the main. Very laid back, some "rascal"
gear, cool and excellent service. We have never seen anything like the homeless situation here though. It is a real eye opener.
So in a sentence, Honolulu is well worth a visit. We would also jump over to Maui as well next time on a neighbouring island to see more of the "real", less commercialised Hawaii, hopefully with more girls in straw skirts.
Next stop ... Las Vegas. Viva!